Vote for historic Curzon Cinema in National Lottery awards

Clevedon's historic Curzon Cinema has won through to the semi finals of a prestigious National Lottery award.

The cinema, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, is one of only 10 projects in the UK to make it through to the semi finals in the Best Heritage Project category of the National Lottery Awards.

The awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery funded project and recognise and celebrate the difference that Lottery funded projects make to communities across the UK.

The Curzon was awarded £321,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2010 as part-funding towards a £500,000 refurbishment of the cinema.

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The cash allowed cinema bosses to complete the most urgent repairs to the Grade II listed building’s roof, create a new, permanent exhibition on the history of cinema in Clevedon, open a new lounge bar and better display the Curzon Collection of heritage cinema technology.

The money has also allowed the cinema to employ a full-time education and learning co-ordinator.

The winning project in each category will receive national recognition on a star studded BBC One show in November and will receive £2,000 to spend on their project.

People are now being invited to vote for their favourite project and bosses and volunteers at The Curzon are appealing for the general public to support them.

Curzon director, Gareth Negus, said: “We’re delighted to have reached the semi finals of the awards. The news was a marvellous 100th birthday present. The Curzon has always been a cinema for the people and the aim of the project was to share with the public the rich heritage of our building and of the cinema exhibition in the UK.”

Voting for the finals starts at 9am on June 26 and ends at midnight on July 22. People can vote at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or by phoning 0844 8369712.